Why would the founders share the profits with thousands of people when they could keep profits to themselves? The reason is that at some point every company needs to "raise money". To do this, companies can either borrow it from somebody or raise it by selling part of the company, which is known as issuing stock.

A company can borrow by taking a loan from a bank or by issuing bonds. Both methods come under "debt financing". On the other hand, issuing stock is called “equity financing”. Issuing stock is advantageous for the company because it does not require the company to pay back the money or make interest payments along the way.

All that the shareholders get in return for their money is the hope that the shares will someday be worth more than what they paid for them. The first sale of a stock, which is issued by the private company itself, is called the initial public offering (IPO).

It is important that you understand the distinction between a company financing through debt and financing through equity. When you buy a debt investment such as a bond, you are guaranteed the return of your money (the principal) along with promised interest payments.

This isn't the case with an equity investment. By becoming an owner, you assume the risk of the company not being successful - just as a small business owner isn't guaranteed a return, neither is a shareholder. Shareholders earn a lot if a company is successful, but they also stand to lose their entire investment if the company isn't successful.

It’s a tricky game!

Note that: There are no guarantees when it comes to individual stocks. Some companies pay out dividends, but many others do not. And there is no obligation to pay out dividends. Without dividends, an investor can make money on a stock only through its appreciation of the stock price in the open market.

On the downside, any stock may go bankrupt, in which case your investment is worth nothing.

Having understood this, we now want to know what makes stock prices rise and fall? If we know this, we will know which stocks to buy. In the next section we will try to understand what makes stock prices go up and down.

Why Should you Invest your Money?

If you’ve ever wondered how the rich get so rich, it’s not because it’s in their blood or because they attend the best schools. The reason is much simpler than that. You see, while you work hard for your money, rich people make their money work hard for them.

No one ever got rich from working for money. And yet, some people who seemingly do nothing more than work a regular nine-to-five job and earn a weekly paycheck, join the ranks of the super wealthy every single day. How do they do it? They’ve learned what the rich teach their kids ...

They have learned how to make money work for them, instead of them working for money. If no one has ever taught you how to do this, you can start right here. This blog contains posts related to every aspect investing.

Stock Trading Guide

A comprehensive guide to learn all that you need to know for trading in the stock markets.